Question about Loire Valley châteaux
 

I'll be in Paris for the tail end of a trip to Europe and strongly considering adding an extra day to see a little of Tours and 2 chateaux: Chambord and Chenonceau. You should know that I'm a travel photographer and this will be the purpose of my visit, not wine tastings or garden picnics. I'll be looking to take postcard-like photos that will be featured in travel guides, calendars, brochures, etc.

After doing some research my initial plan is to take a morning train from Paris to Tours. From here I'd like to see the half timbered buildings in Place Plumereau, the St. Gatien cathedral, and Hotel de Ville (on foot or bus perhaps?).

The next part is where I need your advice. Would renting a car to check out the 2 chateaux be a better idea than taking a tour from the tourist office? I would really only be shooting the outside of them as well as the gardens. However, if going through the time/trouble/expense of renting a car will be a time suck with paperwork, traffic, parking, navigation, gas, etc. I'd be open to taking a half day tour and getting to relax and see the inside of these places. I could only find limited info on half day tours, notably one offered by Touraine Evasion from 1PM - 6:45PM. This would give me time to see Tours in the morning and then the chateaux. Any other options I'm not aware of would be fantastic.

If you're just taking a day trip to Tours, take the guided tour. Otherwise, it is always worthwhile to rent a car to see the area.

A car is the best way to travel to see the chateaux imo. I'd do 2 days and seleep in Blois or ...

If your objective is Chambord and Chenonceau, take the train to Tours, stay at one of the hotels between Place Plumereau and the train station. All of the places you want to see in Tours are within a short walk of this area.

There is train service from Tours Centre directly to Chenonceaux, the station is now at the château entrance. To see Chambord, you can either take a minibus tour (they depart from the Office de Tourisme across from Tours Centre) or take the train to Blois from where there is bus service to Chambord (bus does not operate in winter months).

Both chateaux are somewhat monochromatic. It is even more so if the sky is also flat and monochromatic. If you want to add color, you might consider early morning or late evening not necessarily matching the tour schedule. If you look at the orientation, Chanonceau lies north-south with the photogenic sides facing east and west providing both morning and evening shooting opportunities. Chambord front side faces NW so the morning shots will be silhouette unless you shoot the backside of the chateau while evening shots illuminate in red from the front. Both can have water in front for reflection opportunities if you can get there on a no wind day. Both chateaux are beautifully lit at night.

It is easy to drive in the Loire valley with a GPS. Parking at the Chateau's is quite easy. As greg points out, lighting may very well play a rather large role in what you are trying to capture so doing the trip by yourself probably makes the most sense.

THANK YOU all for your replies. Greg, this is EXACTLY the kind of stuff I want to know ahead of time. most of the beautiful photos you see of these 2 place are bathed in warm light with the sun low in the sky (morning or late afternoon). An overcast day will absolutely kill this segment of the trip and I won't even bother leaving Paris if the weather outlook is gloomy on my app that morning.

If it's mostly cloudy a guided tour will stress me out wondering if I should be outside waiting for the sun to poke out instead of paying attention to the history of a winding double staircase.

another question.... does it cost anything to park and shoot from the outside or will I have to pay a parking fee and admission to access the grounds and gardens?

In addition to Greg's info, be aware of the size difference. You could probably fit about 5 or 6 Chenonceaus in Chambord - it's bloody huge.

And considering its cultural importance as the inspiration for Marlinspike Hall for the Tintin comics, consider photo'ing Cheverny.

There are ten million pictures of those chateaux already available, I find it hard to believe any travel guide or calendar would find a lack of them to buy from existing sources.

Christina
There are 500 million pictures of Big Ben and the Eiffel Tower too. So why would anyone license an image when so many existing ones exist? I'll leave that for you to ponder on your own. FYI My trips all over the US, the Caribbean, Canada, and Europe are funded entirely on profits from licensing agreements and royalties.

Trains to Tours - be sure to book way in advance to get nifty discounted fares at www.voyages-sncf.com - French railways site - check www.seat61.com for sage advice on doing that. Other sites for trains and Loire area check www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

check http://www.accodispo-tours.com/tours.html for half-day tours? Several leaving Tours t.o. daily 12:45 and a long-established company. One goes to Chenonceaux and Chambord - two of the most gorgeous facades but to get neat pictures you may have to get in the gates - these tours just provide transportation not admission or tours I believe.

IMO renting a car for a half-day would be hectic - but if you can stay an extra day yes it would be very easy.

PalenQ Thanks for that info. This would be an all-in-one-day kind of side trip from Paris as I'll have plenty to shoot there as well. That means that staying the night in the Loire Valley isn't a possibility.

I don't know if anyone saw my above question but is parking or admission charged just to access the grounds of those two?

I don't know if anyone saw my above question but is parking or admission charged just to access the grounds of those two?>

Been a while since I've been to Chenonceaux but am fairly sure you have to pay to gain access to the grounds and Chambord too. Would be very surprised if not but hey anyone?

don't remember but the cost would be hugely prohibitive. Probably 5€.

You must pay admission to see any of Chenonceau.

At Chambord, you must pay to park. They reconfigure access to the grounds from time to time but I think admission is only required to enter into the château.

If you see Chenonceaux from the other side of the river it is free. You have to pay if you use their car park.

Chambord used to have free parking, but since it has been "renovated" they have probably added a parking fee as well. If so, it would be difficult to get around it, since it is isolated in the middle of the forest.

Not sure where mini-bus tours that do not include admission or chateau tours drop you but maybe inside the grounds near ticket window? Easy to e-mail and ask.

thank you all. as I'm leaning towards the car at the moment can anyone recommend a remarkable (and preferably very old) town or village within the vicinity? Maybe one with half timbered buildings and a picturesque square?

Maybe one with half timbered buildings and a picturesque square?>

After biking several times around the part of Loire I think I've gone thru every little burg I recall no such town at least with half-timbered buildings rare here - Amboise' chateau is an imposing sight to capture on film perhaps when she from an island across the Loire and you may find the Pagoda de Chanteloup a nice photo opp - in rustic setting near Amboise:

https://www.google.com/search?q=pago...w=1745&bih=863

https://www.google.com/search?q=loir...w=1745&bih=863

Lots of such houses in Loire but usually not a square-ful but Place Plumerau in Tours may be the best you'll find- click on the pictures to see where they are.

I have a soft spot for Loches, and only to see the fathers.

I like Blois, which also has a château in the center of town.

I have a soft spot for Loches, and only to see the fathers.>

and a chateau fort - really fortified castle not a pleasure dome like most of others - inside is a replica of the Hanging Cages of Louis XIV (?) in the donjon where enemies of the king were literally hung out to dry for ages in cages not big enough to stand up in.

Azay-le-Rideau on the outside is my favorite chateau:

https://www.google.com/search?q=azay...w=1745&bih=863

You will only be able to shoot one site at sunset on a given day.

Amboise is cool too for seeing the Loire at its most serene as the mainly dry at many times river snakes thru tiny rivulets of water admist a vast sandy riverbed.

Sunset would be best for a chaeau facing what way?

"Azay-le-Rideau on the outside is my favorite chateau"

I looked this one up today and agree it's fantastic. I saw that it's close to Tours so this would make an easy addition to my chateau-fest

I saw some wonderful old buildings on Rue Michel Debre in Amboise. It's also very close to Tours.

You can configure your shot at any way or time during sunset.

If there is a sunset in this often cloudy rainy region.

Loches was already mentioned and to that I'll add Chinon. These two towns both have medieval château ruins and beautiful old town centers. The ruin in Chinon was the favorite of Henry II, who was married to Eleanor of Aquitaine and his most famous son was Richard the Lionheart. The three of them are buried (or at least parts of their bodies) at the Abbey of Fontevraud, not too far from Chinon. Check their tourist office websites to learn more about these towns:

http://www.azay-chinon-loirevalley.com/

http://www.loches-valdeloire.com/#

http://www.fontevraud.fr/en/

You have to pay to park at the official parking lot at Chambord and it costs 6 euros. If you can find parking on the nearby routes D112 or D33 then you could park free and walk to the château but I don't know if there is a place to park on these roads. For only 6 euros just park in the parking lot.

If driving and you have a Michelin map then there are loads of beautiful châteaux in the region that most people have never heard of or visited and the Michelin map will show their locations.

Richelieu is way different from any other Loire Chateau Country town -OP don't have time with just a day but those planning longer sojourns...

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ire-valley.cfm

Chinon's chateau is full of history but short on good look photo ops for OP- basically a ruin with a few vestiges left. Chinon the town to me is the nicest in the area.

If driving and you have a Michelin map then there are loads of beautiful châteaux in the region that most people have never heard of or visited and the Michelin map will show their locations.>

Great Michelin 1:200000 maps available everywhere and stick to D (departemental roads) which are away from large urban areas wonderful well-paved back roads little traveled - N or National roads can be full of trucks and traffic.